Life is Just a Bowl Of Cherries
by IAMERIK
Summary: What happens when Ponyboy gets sick and ends up losing his leg? Rated T to be safe
1. Chapter 1

Darry P.O.V. Ponyboy is depressed. Every night it's the same. He moans at night, and he has terrible nightmares. Soda tries to calm him down, but it only makes it worse. He won't eat, so he is really thin. Poor kid.

Soda P.O.V. Oh great Two-Bit's here. "Pony. Time for breakfast, you gotta get ready for your last day of school." I said as I gently nudged him. He moaned and then opened his eyes, his beautiful baby browns. I threw my DX shirt on and tried to find my pants. "Hey, Darry! Where are my pants?!" I yelled. "On the ironing board. I ironed them yesterday." Came a voice from the kitchen. "Who the hell irons jeans?!" I asked. "I do! And you're gonna have to live with it until you move out! " Darry yelled. I rolled my eyes as Two-Bit walked into the room. "How's our little blonde soldier doing?" He asked. "Asshole! I'm not that blond anymore. And I ain't little!" Pony said as he pulled on his pants. I found mine and put them on as Two-Bit went back out to the kitchen. Ponyboy tied his shoes and he then trudged out to the kitchen. I then went out to the kitchen, and put a piece of chocolate cake on a plate and ate it. Pony laid on the couch. He looked tired. He had, had a hard night. Around 12:30 P.M. I woke up to the sound of him crying. So, I knew something was bothering him, so I went over to his and rubbed his back. He used to love when mom rubbed his back when he was little. "Pony, you better eat something 'cause you gotta get your butt to school soon or else you'll be late." I said "I'm not hungry!" Ponyboy said as he turned his head away from me. "Pony, you gotta eat something... anything. Darry! He won't eat!" I yelled. Darry came into the kitchen looking dishevelled and tired. "Ponyboy Michael Curtis! You're makin' yourself ill." Darry said as he pulled Pony up and led him to the kitchen table. I cut Pony a slice of chocolate cake, put it on a plate, and put it in front of him. He picked up the fork and then took a bite. Almost like a curse he jumped out of his seat and ran into the bathroom and started puking into the toilet. Darry ran after him and rubbed his back as Pony puked his guts out. Ponyboy started crying and sobbing while vomiting. "Pony! It'll be okay. Shh..." I said as I knelt down beside him. Two-Bit appeared at the door and said, "Well that's just lovely blondie." I turned to look at him with my cold eye stare. Ponyboy started coughing and hacking so I guess he was done. Darry and I helped him lean up against the bathtub. Darry took a kleenex and wiped the drool that was on his chin and mouth off. "Well, I guess this means no school for you today buddy. Soda and Two-Bit please go to the school and clean out his locker. I'll call my boss and tell him that I cannot come in today." Darry said. "Let's go Two-Bit!" I said as I walked out of the bathroom.

Ponyboy P.O.V. I still can't believe that Darry is staying home with me. Darry called his boss, sort of got in a telephone fight with him and then Darry thanked him and hung up. He then sat down next to me on the bathroom floor. "Da...Dar..Darry...you c..c...an go to w...w...work. I don't n...n...need looking after." I said as I shivered. "No, Pony. It's fine. You need looking after. Now, let's get you off the floor." Darry said as he lifted me up and carried me into my bedroom. he sat me down and helped me recline. He propped me up with a pillow and felt my forehead. "Pony, you're burning up. I'm going to get you a wet washcloth and a bucket." He said as he left me alone. I sat there shivering and wondering when would Soda be back. Darry came back into the room and laid a wet washcloth on my forehead. Then he climbed into bed and put the bucket on the bedside table. He then pulled up the covers.

Soda P.O.V. I came home with Two-Bit to find Darry and Pony cuddling. Pony's head on Darry's chest. I grabbed a camera and shot a photo. I am happy that they are finally being nice to each other. I went out to the kitchen and pulled out a lasagna. I threw it into the oven and waited awhile for it to cook. Darry came into the kitchen. "Ah. So we are going to start eating all that 'sorry for your loss' lasagna that has been in the freezer for months?" Darry said as he sat at the kitchen table. "How is Pony?" I asked. "He is still running a fever. Poor kid. Thanks for cleaning his locker." Darry said. "No prob. Poor kid. He missed his last day of school. Everyone was wonderin' where he was." I said as I pulled the lasagna out of the oven. We ate.


	2. Chapter 2

Darry P.O.V. Pony didn't wake up until the next morning. When he did wake up he had a high fever and woke up after screaming in his sleep. Poor kid. First day of summer and he's sick. I took yet another day off work. Soda went to DX to work while I took Pony to the doctor. The doctor told me that Pony had to go to the hospital right away, because was fever was so high. That's when I knew that this was infact very very serious. I called Soda he said he would be right there. The doctor told me that Pony might have something called Necrotizing Fasciitis. Apparently his leg was bright purple and some of the skin had necrotized. He said that the hospital would run some tests and see if it was indeed this horrible sounding disease. I started screaming as they put Pony onto a stretcher and hauled him into the ambulance. Two nurses held me back. I fell on my knees and cried. After awhile the nurses calmed me down and then I got into my truck and drove to the hospital. When I got there Soda was already there. He told me that we weren't allowed to see Pony and that it was real bad. And that he had that horrible sounding disease. The doctors said that it had infected his right leg and that they were going to try to salvage it, but if they couldn't it would have to get cut off. I passed out right there in the middle of the waiting room.

Soda P.O.V Poor Pony. He might have to get his leg amputated, or else he could die. When Darry came to we were finally allowed to see him after we signed a ton of papers for our consent for the surgery. He was hooked up to a lot of wires and was out cold. Darry collapsed on the bed and cried. I cried with him. We even prayed. The doctor came in ten minutes later and told us that it was time. We said our possibly final goodbyes and then they wheeled him to the O.R. Darry and I hugged and cried. Hell, they even sent us a counselor. I have no idea what Ponyboy will do if he does get his leg amputated. It took over 9 hours of crying, hugging, and worrying, and then a doctor came in. "I'm so sorry, but we couldn't save his leg. The necrotizing went to far, it was our only option. But he pulled through like a champ." The doctor said. At the words 'I'm so sorry' I collapsed in Darry's arms and sobbed.

Ponyboy P.O.V. I woke up in horrible pain. Darry was holding my hand and sleeping with his head on the bed. I tried my hardest to say, "Darry... Where am I?" He jumped a little bit and smiled. "You're finally up. You're at the hospital. You had a disease that made the doctors have to cut off your leg. So the pain that your feeling is from the amputation. I'm real sorry. They couldn't save it." Darry said as he wiped his eyes from tears forming in the corners. "What? No! It can't be gone!" I said in a state of shock. But I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that it was gone and that he really wasn't lying. Darry never cried like this since the day mom and dad died. "Pony, it's gone." Darry said as he looked towards my right leg. There was a pillow under it and a sheet over it. I moved back the sheet and saw a wrapped up stump. It really was gone. I burst out crying. "Darry! How am I going to protect myself from the Socs!? How am I going to do track?! I'm probably never going to dance with my future wife at our wedding! I'm never going to be able to fight in a rumble again! What am I going to do?!" I asked sobbing into Darry's shoulder which he had offered me halfway through my speech. "Shhh... Pony, everything is going to be alright. We'll figure out how to help you. We just gotta give it some time." Darry said. I cried for days. I sat at the window watching the rain pour from the grey sky. I didn't see Soda the day I woke up since he was busy trying to work to pay for the bills. But he came as soon as he finished work. This year has been awful. My bestfriend died, I am still getting over the death of my parents, and now my leg has been chopped off. I was in horrible pain for weeks on end. I started therapy and they would stretch my one and a half legs, and taught me how to use crutches to walk. Life has been awful for the time being. The doctor finally decided that I could be discharged from their care. Darry scooped me up in his arms and Soda helped me get ahold one my crutches (by the way they are not broken leg type of crutches, they are the type with straps that go across your arms. I think they are called forearm crutches.) I have been in the hospital for weeks, six weeks to be exact.


End file.
